Conversational English: How to speak more and better?

More and more companies are requesting employees with command of English, in search of positioning themselves in the market, as they are aware that they must handle the predominant language. And surely you have already realized this, so you have decided to learn the language. Whether you are applying for a course or are thinking of doing it, it is very likely that only one thing occupies your mind regarding this: How to improve and speak English fluently with ease?

We have intentions of support you in your goals! That is why we bring you several tips for holding conversations in english with two or more people.

How to improve the level of conversational English?

There are several techniques that you can apply to improve your conversations in English, here we bring you a list of them:

• Listen to songs in English while you read the lyrics. This will help you improve your speaking, listening and reading skills in English.
• You watch your favorite series and movies in English and without subtitles, or if you wish with English subtitles, so that you can associate the words with their pronunciation.
• Think English. Practice thinking in English and even talking to yourself in English, you can do it in front of a mirror, if you prefer, so you can observe the modulation.
• Don't be afraid and relax. Some people are embarrassed when they have a conversation in English with someone else, this will only make your tongue numb when it comes to pronouncing. Calm!
• listen in english. There is a variety of content in audio format that you can carry with you at all times, from podcasts to audiobooks.
• Practice with others and learn from your mistakes. Perseverance will take you far, find a partner and practice together, if you don't have there are certain apps that can help you with that.

English speaking apps

Nothing like a good English conversation club, but if you don't have anything close to it like it, don't worry, some apps will help you to correct that problem. The favorites to practice conversations in English are: Hello Talk, Tandem, iTalki and Speaky.

You can get all of them on Google Play and the App Store, and the best thing is that they are free! Excuses are over, dare to make new friends.

Conversational English exercises

We know that for many it is very difficult to express yourself orally when learning English, but here we bring you some exercises to encourage you to maintain that conversation in English with 2 or 3 people.

Basic conversational English

• Find the differences: compare objects, people, images, or whatever you want in English, using well-structured sentences, with subject, verb and predicate.
• describe yourself: You can talk to another person or imagine possible questions that they might ask about you. Find the best way to express personal information about who you are.

Intermediate conversational English

• comment on something: choose a topic of your choice, it can be a book, a painting, a news item, etc. You should talk for two minutes about it, trying to describe what it is about and giving your opinion about it.
• continue the story: someone starts a story (or you can read the beginning of one), you have to complete the rest using your imagination and English vocabulary.

advanced conversational english

• Interview: With the support of someone, or by searching for interview formats on the internet, express yourself in English as if you were being interviewed in a professional manner.
• Present a topic: Choose a topic that is relevant to you, find out about it and then talk and explain about it, finally answer the questions that are generated about it. 

How to start a conversation in English?

 As in any other language, the best way to converse in English is with a greeting. You can substitute the traditional “Hello" either "hi" by "Nice to meet you, my name is… what is yours?”.

Then try asking questions to get to know the other person or how they are doing, such as: “what do you like to do on your free time?" either "how was your week?”.

Remember to always take into account the context, this will allow you to have a coherent and consistent conversation. For example, if you are talking to someone from another country, you will be interested in knowing about their culture, more tourist places or traditional foods.

How to pronounce better in English?

Pronunciation can be one of the biggest obstacles when speaking in English, to help you with this we bring you some guides so you know how to improve and speak English fluently.

Difficult words to pronounce in English

Some words that may confuse you when pronouncing them:

• Weird: means "strange" and is pronounced uirdt.
• Rhythm: means “rhythm” and is pronounced rhidem.
• Museum: means “museum” and is pronounced miusiem.
• Schedule: means “schedule” and is pronounced sketdul.
• Chao: means "chaos" and is pronounced Keios.
• Literally: means "literally" and is pronounced lycherely.
• Colonel: means "colonel" and is pronounced ker-nel.

Tricks to pronounce English correctly

• Practice with your favorite songs, listening to the pronunciation of the words and phrases and then singing them, repeating correctly.
• Practice with someone who knows more than you and ask them to help you by correcting your pronunciation mistakes.
• Read English texts out loud and modulate while you do it.
• Play with tongue twisters, because although we know that they are scary even in Spanish, they are a very fun way to loosen up the pronunciation in a new language.

Don't stop when you reach your objectivesHaving conversations in English fluently will help you boost your career and get better job offers. Remember that nobody learned English overnight, being patient and constant will bring you closer to achieving your goals.

Dialogues and exercises to practice conversational English

Imagine some dialogues that may occur in your business meeting. In this way, you can start prepare your answers and practice your conversational English before it's time to face a real situation.

We share some phrases and dialogue that can serve as a first step:

When talking about your company

If you want to "sell" your company to new partners, or are looking for new clients, you will have to talk about it, its history, its services, its values, its expectations.

Some common questions and answers to practice conversational English:

• Tell us about your company…

• The company was founded / set up / established in 1995. We merged with (name of the company) in 2007. We are based in San José, Costa Rica, but we have a branch in Florida.

Translation: Tell us about your company…

Translation: The company was founded/created/established in 1995. We merged with (company name) in 2007. We are located in San José, Costa Rica, but we have a branch in Florida)

• What business is your company in?

• We're a small consulting company, specialized in technology. We launched a new product last month. It is… / We are developing a new…

T: What area of the market is your company in?

T: We are a small consulting firm, specialized in technology. We did a new product launch last month. It's a… / We're developing a new…)

• Our main business is gastronomy… We specialize in breads, pastries and cakes.

T: Our main business is gastronomy. We specialize in breads, cakes and pies.

Other related verbs:

We make/produce/manufacture/ develop/build/supply/sell/distribute/import/export

(We make/ produce/ manufacture/ develop/ build/ supply/ sell/ distribute/ import/ export)

• What is the annual profit?
• We are the market leaders in 4 countries, we make annual profits of $1 million. Our ROI is…

T: What is the annual profit?

T: We are market leaders in 4 countries with annual revenues of $1 million. Our ROI is…)

• How is the company organized?
• At the head of the company is the CEO. Below, the General Manager, who has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running. The company is divided into different departments, each with its own director. We employ more than 3000 people worldwide.

T: How is the company organized?

T: At the head of the company is the CEO. Then, the General Manager, who is in charge of the day-to-day tasks. The company is divided into different departments, each with its own director. We employ 3000 people in the world.)

About your responsibilities

In a work meeting, you will surely have to talk about your professional experience, the position you hold in the company, and your work team.

• What is your job role/job title?
• I'm Miguel. I'm the Marketing Manager/I work as Marketing Manager. I've been with the company for 6 years/I've been with the company since 2012/I've worked for the company for 6 years.

T: What is your role/position?

T: I'm Michael. I am the Marketing Manager/I work as a Marketing Manager. I have been with the company for 6 years/I have been with the company since 2012/I have worked for the company for 6 years.)

• What do your responsibilities include?
• I'm in charge of training courses for our new staff members. I'm responsible for…

T: What do your responsibilities include?

T: I am involved in conducting training courses for our new staff. I am responsible for…)

Other verbs: I head/manage/look after/I'm involved with/ I report directly to…

(I lead/manage/supervise/involved/report directly to…)

It's getting easier to connect with potential partners and customers. But when they speak another language it can become a limitation. It is because of that you should start practicing your conversational English and be ready for any challenge.

Organize your time and dedicate a space each day to improve your English for businessmen. Review teaching material to discover new tips on how to improve your english. Don't be afraid to use the language! It's time to grow your career and your company.

Keep learning:

• Benefits of learning English at work or learning at home
  
• Can I become bilingual through English2Go's online English courses?
• Know The Advantages Of Being Bilingual